Administrator of



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. F. WELLS, D

H. F. WELLS, Administra CALENDAR y CLOCK No. 11.07.977. E Patented July 30, 1889.

Mii-60722036.

(No Model.) A' P' WELLS Deod. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. F. WELLS, Administrator.

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UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIS F. IVELIJS, OF FRIENDSHIP, NEIV YORK, ADMINISTRATOR OF ALBERT F. IVELLS, DEOEASED.

CALENDAR-fCLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,977, dated July 30, 1889. Application led January 22, 1889. Serial No. 297,107. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that ALBERT F. IVELLS, late-a citizen ot" the United States, residing at Friendship, in the county ol' Allegany and State of New York, deceased, did invent a new and useful Improvement in Calendar- Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in calendar-clocks, and has for its object to simplify the mechanism whereby the month wheel or cylinder is actuated 'at variable intervals of time rendered necessary bythe difference in length ot' the thirty and thirty-one day months and the month ot February, and by the change in the number of days in the latter month every fou r years.

The invention consists of the improvements which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting` of two sheets, Figure l is a sectional front elevation of the improved calendar-clock, the dial-inclosing frame being omitted. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is across-section in line a; Fig. l, looking toward the month-cylinder. Figt is a cross-section in line y y, Fig. l, looking in the opposite direction, showing the movable pin attached to the actuating-wheel ot' the month-cylinder and the mechanism whereby the same is released and held rigid. Figs. 5 and 6 are elevations of the main actuating-wheel and connecting parts, showing different positions of the movable detent-releasing frame attached to said actuating-wheel. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation ot the actuating-wheel of the day-cylinder and its operating mechanism.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the stationary supporting plate or frame, carrying the parts ot' the calendar mechanism, and which is secured to the rear wall of the clock-casing in the usual way.

.E is the revolving cylinder indicating the days of the week, and B the cylinder indicating the months of the year. These cylinders are each provided with a sleeve or hollow axle b, which sleeves turn upon opposite ends of a stationary spindle D. The latteris supported centrally in a bearing h2, secured to a Atorwardly-projecting bracket b3, attached to the supporting-plate A.

C represents the upright actuating-rod ot the calendar mechanism, which is connected with the clock-work in any suitable and wellknown manner, so as to be reciprocated once every twenty-four hours. The rod C is guided at its lower end by straddling the bracket b3 with its lower bifurcated portion c, and atits upper end by clinch-pins c or other means.

D is a toothed actuating-wheel vmounted on the axle ot the day-cylinder B, and which is intermittently turned by means of an actuating-pawl d, hung to an upwardly-bent arm d', formed on the adjacent side of the actuatingrod O and engaging with the teeth ot said wheel, as represent-ed in Figs. l and 7.

d2, Figs. l, 2, and 7, is a spring-detent engaging with the upper side of the actuatingwheel D and provided with a downwardlyprojecting arm (Z3, which is struck by an inclined foot at the lower end of the pawl d when the actuating-rod C is depressed, so as to disengage the detent from the wheel D and allow the actuating-pawl to turn the wheel the distance ot one tooth. The day-wheel may be operated from the actuating-rod C in any other manner, if desired.

E represents an actuating crown-wheel having twelve teeth and mounted on the axle b of the i'nonth-cylinder B on the inner side ot the latter, and e is a vertically-swinging detent pivoted to the outer end of the bracket b3 and engaging in the spaces between the teeth of said crown-wheel, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to hold the same against turning. The detent e is held in an elevated position in engagement with the teeth of the crown-wheel by a spring e.

F represents the main toothed actuatingwheel, which is provided with thirty-one teeth, and is mounted upon a horizontal shaft f, arranged at right angles to the spindle t1', and journaled at its inner end in an opening in the supporting-plate A and at its outer end in a bearing f at the front end of the bracket h3. An intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the main wheel F once in every twenty-tour hours bya weighted pawl f2, piv- IDO oted to a lateral arm f3, lformed on the aetuat- .ing-rod C and engaging with the teeth of said wheel, as Clearly shown in Figs. l, '2, and t3.

j" is a spring-detentpivoted to thesuppo'rting-plate A and engaging hetween. the teeth ofthe main wheel F. rlhis detent is disengaged from the wheel 'it when the actuatingrod C dejnessed l y a projection 1"5, arranged on said rod` and striking an arm f, formed on the detent, said projection heing inelined so as to allow the arm f to ride over the proj eC- tion when the aetuatinga'od is elevated.

g/ a revolving trip-linger pivoted at its inner hifureated end to the shaft f, so as to swing laterally in the ltmgitudinal direction of said shaft, and which is adapted to pass with vits outer end through. the noteh or space of the erown-wheel in which the detente 's seated and depress the latter, so as to disengage it 'from theteeth of the (frown-wheel and permit the latter to he turned.

.lxl Vis a stationary spiral eam or guide surrounding the shaft f in rear of the trip-'linger ,r/ and supjiorted upon the hraeket li, as shown in Fig. Ll. The trip-linger y] hears against the Vfront side ot the spiral earn ll', and 'is lheld against lthe same hy a spiral spring g', surrounding the shaft j", and seeured at one end to the shaft and at its other end to the trip linger. The front end of the eam lll termiuates adjaeent to the free end of the detent e, and the rear end of the eam is arranged the distance of one noteh or tooth of the erownwheel in rear of the Afront end of the eam, so that as the trip-linger revolves with the shaft fit is gradually moved :forward hy the cam and guided into and through the noteh in whieh the detent e is located, thereby de pressing the detent out of engagement with the teeth et the crown-wheel and releasing the latter. At the moment that the detent is disengaged from the Crown-wheel the triptinger g clears the front end of the Cam ll and is drawn rearwardly against the rear or ini tial end of the @am hy the spring g', thereby striking the adjacent tooth of the erownwheel, shifting the latter with the month-eylinder forwardly the distanee oli' one tooth and exposing the name of the next month through the slot in the dial of the eloek. As soon as the erown-wheel has heen shifted the detent engages in the next, noteh thereof and arrests its lfurther movement. It will thus he seen that as the main wheel F has thirt r-one teeth' and the aetmlting-rod (l moves the same the distance of one tooth every day, the trip-linger f/ makes one revolution every thirty-elm days, or, in other words, at the end of every long month, and therehy shifts the month-Cyl inder the distanee of one tooth of its aetuatingwheel.

The mechanism so far l'leserihed relates to the long` months, or those having thirty-one days. ln order to shift Vthe month-eylinder at the end of the thirty-dz'iy months and of lfehruary having either twenty eight or twenty-nine days, the main wheel F and trips linger g must make a eomjilete revolution either with twentyeight, twent \'nine, or thirty strokes of the aetuating-rod (fl, as the latter .is aetuatlid but onee every day. rlhe mechanism for aeeomplishing this eonsists of the following:

l represents a movahle detent-releasing frame pivoted to the front side ol' the main wheel F, and eonsisting of a segment l', whieh vis adapted to eover three of the teeth ol' the main wheel F, a lifting arm or foot i', ar ranged adjacent to the periphery of the erown whe/el E, and an arm i?, wherehy the vframe .l is pivoted to the wheel lf. ',lhe mova'hle trame l is eapahle of oseillating on the wheel F, so as to eause its segment'. t to eover or uneover the :uljaeent teeth ofthe main wheel l", and Vit is jnovided` at its eenter with a semieireular jaw or rec-ess ff", whieh loosely straddles the shattj" and limits the oseillaling movement of the releasingl'raine h v strikingl eitherside of said shaft, as elearly shown in lligs. l, 5, andv o.

rej'n'esents radial pins or projeetions :le ranged on the periphery of the erown-wheel E, and over whiehthe outerend of the liftingfoot t rides as the wheel F revolves, llierelrv moving the segment [outwardly and eausing it to eover the adjacent teeth of the wheel l". The lifting-foot is provided. at its outer end with an inelined nose '1" to lfaeililate the movement of the `footoverthe piusjon striking the latter. Apin is arranged on theerown-whml F about dian'ietrieally opluisite the name ol' every Amonth on the month-eylinder havingl thirty days,so that on the last dayol' a i hirtvday month a pin will stand in the pathof the lifting-foot 2" ot' the delent-releasing frame ready to aotuat e said l'oot at the next revoln tion of the latter. l'n riding over sueh a pin the foot e" is ellivated,thereby projwzling the segment l n liue with the three adjacent teeth of the wheel F and suhslituting praea tieally one wide tooth for three narrow ones ou the wheel l. lt will now he obvious that the outward movement ot' the segment; may he so timed as to eause the detentfI lo ride over the entire surfaee of said movahle segment, and therehy skip three teeth of the Vmain wheel I", or to ride over t\\'o-thirds of the segment and skip two teeth ol" said wheel, or to ride over hut one-third thereof, so as to skip hut one of the teeth of said wheel. 'lhe pins eoineiding willi the thirty day months are so plaeed with rel'erenee to the lifting-foot that lthe segment. will he lnfojeetedjust at the proper time loeause the detent to ride over only the last third ol' said tooth, so as to skip one tooth of the main wheel F. On the last day ot' the thirty-day month the wheel F will now 'he 'moved the distance of two of ils teeth hy the aetuatingu rod (l, thereby eztusing the trip-linger g/ to travel twiee its usual distance on this last day, and shifting the month-eylinder at the proper time to again len-ing the trip-linger to the initial end of the eam on the lirst day of the llO new month. The nose or head at the lower end of the lifting-foot t is made of such width that the segment t will be held in a projected position just a sufficient time to cause the detent f4 to skip one tooth of the wheel F, the frame I falling away from the teeth of the wheel F by gravity when the lifting-foot has passed apinj, thereby uncovering said teeth and allowing the detent fl to again engage successivelywith all of the teeth of the wheel B until a pin again stands in the path of said lifting-foot.

About diainetrically opposite the `name of the month of February on the month-cylinder are arranged three pins 7s 7.5 7c?, one in advance of the other and concentric with the center of the main wheel F, so as to hold the lifting-foot in an elevated position andthe segment t in a projected position during the time required by the detent-pawl f to ride over the entire surface of the movable segment, and thus cause the main wheel to be moved the distance of three teeth by the actuating-rod C on the last day of the month and the trip-finger g three times its usual distance, thereby shifting the month-wheel just at the proper time to cause the trip-finger fj to again begin its travel around the cam H on the first day of the new month.

As the month of February has twenty-nine days every four years, or at leap-year, it is necessary to cause the lifting-foot 17 t-o be held in an elevated position and the segment t' to be retained in a projected position during the time required by the detent f* to ride over two-thirds of said segment, so that the detent will skip two teeth of the main wheel F, and thereby cause the wheel F and tripii nger g to make a complete revolution with twenty-nine strokes of the actuating-rod C. This is accomplished by making one of the pins '7a 7u 7a2 movable, preferably the outer one 7a2, so that the same may stand parallel or in line with the adjacent stationary pin 7a', and thus leave practically but two operative pins, and providing mechanism whereby said movable pin is held rigid during the ordinary three years, when February has twenty-eigh t days, and released at the fourth or leap year, when said month has twentynine days.

The movable pin consists of a piece of wire, which is pivoted at its inner end to the central or hub portion of the crown-wheel E, and is guided at its outer portion by a strap or hook Z, secured to the side of the crown-wheel.

m is a revolving cam mounted on a spindle turning in the crown-wheel and cut away or [iattened on one side, as shown at m in Fig. et. then this cam rests with its curved edge against the pin 7a2, as shown in said iigure, the pin is held rigidly away from the adjacent stationary pin, while when the iiat side of the cam is presented to the pin the latter is released and allowed to occupy a position parallel with said adjacent pin by gravity, as represented in Fig. 6, in which position it is inoperative and does not affect the liftingfoot t.

n is a four-armed wheel of the shape of a Maltese cross, secured to the spindle of the cam m on the inner side of the crown-wheel, so as to revolve with the latter, and o is a stationary wheel or disk secured to the stationary spindle b', and having a tooth or projection o', which engages successively with the arms or teeth of the wheel n. As the month-cylinder revolves, the stationary tooth 0 strikes one of lthe teeth of the wheel n, and thereby turns the latter with the cam m the distance of one tooth every year. At thc end of February of the fourth or leap year the wheel n will complete its revolution and bring the fiat side of the cam m opposite the pin k2, thereby releasing the latter. Before February of the next year is reached the wheel m will again be moved the distance of one tooth, thereby bringing the curved portion of the cam against the pin, moving the latter away from the adjacent stationary pin and again holding the same rigidly in place, as shown 1an Fig. Lt. In this manner the movable pin is held rigidly during three years, so as to be operative, and is released at leap-year, so as to be inoperative. y

What is claim ed as the invention of the said ALBERT F. WELLS isl. The combination, with the revolving month-cylinder provided with a toothed actuating-wheel, of a detent whereby the same is held against turning, a revolving actuatingshaft, means whereby an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to said shaft, and a revolving trip-finger attached to said shaft and adapted to disengage said detent from said actuating-wheel, substantially as set fort-h.

2. The combination, with the revolving month-cylinder provided with a toothed actuating-wheel, of a detent engaging with said wheel, a revolving actuating-shaft, means whereby an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to said shaft, a laterally-movable tripfinger pivoted to said shaft, so as to revolve therewith, and adapted to disengage the detent from said wheel, and a cam whereby said trip-flnger is guided to said detent, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the revolving month-cylinder provided with a toothed actuating-wheel, of a detent engaging with said wheel, a revolving actuating-shaft, means whereby an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to said shaft, a laterally-movable trip- 'linger pivoted to said shaft, so as to revolve therewith, and adapted to disengage the dctent from said wheel, a cam whereby said trip-finger is guided to said detent, and a spring whereby said trip-fin ger is held against the cam and the linger and month-wheel are shifted when the trip-finger clears said cam, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the revolving month-cylinder provided with a crown-wheel having twelve teeth, of a vertically-swinging TOO IIO

detent engaging with Said teeth, a revolving shaft provided with an aetnatiiig-wheel having thirty-one teeth, a later-ally-movahle tri plinger pivoted to said shaft, a spiral Cani whereby said trip-linger is guided to the detent, and a spring whereby said trip-linger iS held against the eain, snliatan tially as set li'erth. 5. The combination, with a horizontal shaft, of a main aetnating-wheel. attached to Said Shaft and havinthirty-one teeth, pawl meehanisni whereby an intermittent rotary motion Yis in'lparted to said wheel, a detent engaging with said wheel, :L movable detent-releasing frame arranged on said actuating wheel, :L month-cylinder having an aetnati11g-wheel, which is ope-rated troni :said horizontal shaft, and pins arranged on said aemating-wheel, and with which lsaid detentreleasiiig ["ranie engages, substantially as Set lforth.

(i. The combination, with a-horizontal Shal't, ot :L main actuating-wheel :Lttaehed to Said shaft and having thirty-one teeth, an aetnating rod and pawl whereby an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to Said wheel, a dei tent engaging with said wheel, a movable detent-releasing trame pivoted to said wheel :Lnd consisting of a segment adapted to @over Several teeth ol the aetnating\\'l1eel and a lifting foot er arm, a monlili-cylinder provided with an. actuating-wheel havin g twelve teeth, pins attached to Said aetnating-wheel, whereby said lifting-toot actuated, a detent engaging with said wheel, and a revohfhig triplinger attached to Said horizontal. Shaft,

.whereby said detent is disengaged from the actuating-wheel ot the nionth-eylinder, sal)- stantially as set torth.

'7. The Combi nation, with a horizontal sha'lft', of a inain actuating-wheel attaehed lo said Shatt and having thirty-one teeth, pawl meehanisni. whereby an intermittent rotary motion is inqgarteil to Said wheel, a detent engaging with Said wheel, a movahle detent-releasing traine pivoted to Said aetnatingav'lieel and consisting et :L laegmental plate and a liftingtioot, a inonth-eylinder provided with an aetnating-wheel having twelve teeth and o} erated from said horizontal shaft, ene or more stationary pins armnged on the :Let'natiiiig-wheel ol the inoath-cylinder in the path ol.' said lii't- `ing-toot, and a movable pin, also arranged on Said aetnatiiig-wheel adjacent to Said Slalienary pin or pins, stilista)itially l r tert-h. Theetnnhinatiien,witihahorimyntal shat't, of a main aetnating-wheel attaehed to said shal't and having thirty-one teeth, pawl meehanisin whereby an Vinterniittent rotary motion is imparted to Said wheel, a detent migaging with said wheel, a movahle detent-releaaing frame pivoted to said aetnating-wheel and Consisting et ay segmental plate and a'lilftingtoot', :L montii-eylinderprovided with an aetnating-Lvheel having twelve teeth and operated from said htnfizontal Shalft, one or more sta tionarypins arranged on the :Letnatiiig-wheel olf the month-(iiylinder in the path et" said litting-toet, a movable pin arranged on said aetnating-wheel adjacent to said stationary pin or pins and ea'palile el standing in line with one ot` Said stationary pins when relmised, a revolving eani hearing against said nievahle pin, a revolving t'enr-arined wheel eonneeted with said eani and jenrnaled en the aetnating-wheel et the month-eylnder, and a stationary dial( having a tooth or projeetion engaging with the arms er teeth et imid l'onrarmed wheel,wherehy the latter is turned the distanee ot' a tooth at every revi'ilntien et the month-Cylinder, Snhstantially :Ls set t'erth.

lVitneSa my hand. this 27th day et leeenr lier, ISSS. 

